Remorse
by NachtcGleiskette
Summary: Yeah, title sucks. I'm bad at titles. Pietro makes a huge mistake that changes Kurt's life forever. Can he get Kurt to forgive him? How will Kurt go on with his secret out? R&R Chap 9: Want me to continue?
1. After school

Takes place after "Mainstream", Kurt is still relatively "in the closet" on the whole mutant thing. R&R!!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing..  
  
It was a bright spring day, typical weather for New York at this time of year. Pietro Maximoff leaned against a tree, cutting yet another of his classes. The bell rang, and students began to pile out of the school, on their ways home. There was a large crowd in front, waiting for busses to pick them up. 'Perfect,' Pietro thought, as he waited for one student in particular to show up.  
  
"Hey, what's up, yo?" Todd approached his fried from behind. "You weren't in chemistry again."  
  
"And you were? I guess I just had more important things to do." Pietro kept his eyes on the crowd, hunting his prey.  
  
"I gotta go man, and you should too. Teach says she's gonna fail ya if ya don't show tomorrow. And then its summer school." The Toad shuddered at this.  
  
"Whatever, then I'll go tomorrow." An evil grin spread over Pietro's face as he saw his victim. He was walking with that girlfriend of his, pretending, like he always did. It pissed Pietro off to no end that all the rest of them had been outted as mutants, but that German freak still got to hide. But he would change that.  
  
"Hey, earth to Quicksilver!" Lance's hand passed in front of his face. Pietro swatted at it, angrily. "We're leaving, come on!"  
  
"Hold on, one second, I got something I have to do." And with that, he was gone.  
  
  
  
Kurt waved goodbye to Amanda as her bus drove off. He began to make his way over to the parking lot where Scott's car was parked. Suddenly, a gust of wind flew by him, and he felt a tug on his left hand. He looked down at his arm, and noticed, in horror, that his image inducer was gone. Then he heard a scream. Someone else had noticed too.  
  
"Oh my god!!!! What the hell IS that THING?!?!?!" Someone yelled.  
  
Kurt was in pure shock. Visions of Winzeldorf flew through his head. He tried to run, he tried to port, but he couldn't. He just stood there, like a deer in headlights.  
  
"Ew, look at it! What is it?!?"  
  
"Someone get the police or something!"  
  
"Oh, GOD! I think it's a demon!"  
  
A sharp pull on Kurt's tail brought him back to earth. He suddenly realized what was happening. He tried to pull his tail out of the large guys grasp, but the guy wouldn't give up so easily. He only let go when Kurt tried to grasp the guys arm, in an attempt to loosen his clutch.  
  
"AH! It touched me!" The guy backed up and fell to the ground. He immediately picked up a rock, and threw it at Kurt.  
  
This obviously gave the others the same idea. They started pelting him with everything they could get their hands on. Kurt couldn't escape, they were everywhere. He could feel tears stinging at his eyes. He began to panic. He huddled himself away from them, wrapping his tail defensively around his waist.  
  
"What the hell are you doing!" Salvation came in the sound of Scott's voice. Kurt looked up to see his friends pushing through the mob of students.  
  
"Get away from him!" Rogue pushed forward and walked up to Kurt. "Are you ok?"  
  
Kurt just looked at her. He couldn't think, he couldn't speak. He body ached all over from the rocks and such thrown at him. Rogue and Jean began to help him to his feet.  
  
"Ugh, we should have known he was one of you mutant freaks," someone shouted.  
  
"You got a problem with mutants?" Evan yelled at the crowd. Spikes suddenly shot up through his shirt. The crowd hushed in fear.  
  
"Evan, don't," Kitty put her hand on his shoulder. "Come on."  
  
The six friends walked away to Scott's car. They helped Kurt into the back seat. He was shaking.  
  
"Kurt, what happened?" Jean said to him.  
  
"Ich weiß nicht. Ich möchte nach Hause gehen. Bitte gerades Haus." Kurt was too shook up to think, let alone speak English. He just sat there, shaking as his friends piled in around him to take him home.  
  
  
  
Pietro watched as it all unfolded. At first, he was thrilled. Finally, the blue freak was getting what he deserved. Pietro walked over to his friends clutching the inducer in his hand. He expected pats on the back, but the expression on his friends faces was less than favorable. Pietro looked back at the crowd to see that they were now throwing things at Kurt.  
  
'Oh jeez,' he thought. As much as he despised blue boy, he didn't want to see him really hurt.  
  
He stood there with his friends, as they all watched Kurt being pelted by the crowd. 'Come on, port!' Pietro thought. 'Jesus, come on, Kurt, port!'  
  
But he didn't. He just cowered there, taking it all. Finally Summer's and the other X freaks made their way over and pulled Kurt away from the crowd. 'Ok, good,' Pietro thought. He turned back to his own friends, looks of utter disapproval on their faces.  
  
"That was low, Pietro. Really low," Lance told him as he and the others walked away. "Find your own way home."  
  
Pietro watched as his friends left him behind. He felt disgusting. He had never seen anything so awful in his life, and he felt terrible. He began he walk home. He decided against running. He needed a long walk.  
  
  
  
It was dark by the time he had gotten home. He opened the door and walked in. Lance and Freddy were in the living room, watching tv. They didn't look up as he made his way in. He saw Wanda and began to walk over to her. She gave him a death look and turned away. Ok, she had obviously heard about this afternoon. He hung his head and walked up to his room. He lay down on his bed and thought about what he had done. Sure, blue boy was annoying, and he deserved to be treated just like all mutants were treated. But this, this was beyond bad. Pietro had never expected everyone to go so, crazy. He just thought that everyone would maybe call him a few names and move on. He didn't know they would get so violent.  
  
"Why'd you do it, yo?" Todd walked into his room, and sat down next to his bed.  
  
"Oh, come on, you wouldn't have? You hate him more than I do!" Pietro turned his back on him, not letting him see the shame in his face.  
  
"Yeah, I don't like him. But I don't want the guy dead."  
  
"The other guys are pissed at me, aren't they?" Pietro asked.  
  
"Yeah, a little. I mean, none of us really care either way about any of those freaks. But it's the principle of it, Pietro. I mean, us and the X men, we're enemies. We fight against each other, ya know? But when it comes to humans, we gotta look out for one another, mutant to mutant. And you just kinda delivered Kurt to the enemy, man."  
  
"I didn't think they were going to hurt him." Pietro didn't try to hide the remorse in his voice. God, he felt so bad.  
  
"Well, what'd you expect? They were gonna give him roses?"  
  
Pietro sighed. He had made a huge mistake.  
  
"Anyway, I'm gonna go downstairs. I'll talk to you later, yo." Todd left he room.  
  
Pietro turned over in his bed. He was hungry, but he didn't dare go downstairs. He didn't want to face his friends again. He replayed the entire afternoon over and over in his head. He wished he hadn't done it, he really regretted it. He had never felt so bad for anything in his life. He had to somehow make up for this. But he had no clue what to do.  
  
His eyes began to feel heavy as he began to fall asleep. He turned over and, before falling into slumber, he decided what the first thing he had to do was. As hard as it would be for him, he as going to apologize to Kurt.  
  
  
  
Like? Hate? Lemme know! Next chapter will be all Kurt!! Remember to review!!  
  
German translation (I used Babelfish, I know its not always so reliable, but bear with me): "I don't know. I want to go home. Please, just home." 


	2. At the Institute

Thanx for all my beautiful reviews! I love you all so much! Here is chapter 2 for yall.  
  
Disclaimer: BAMF!  
  
He could hear them outside his door. They had stopped banging, at least. Maybe now they would go away. If there was one thing that Kurt hated more than anything else in the world, it was pity, and he could feel it wafting off his friends and into his room through the crack under his door. He didn't want to be pitied. He didn't want his friends to feel sorry for him. He just wanted everything to be normal.  
  
'Normal,' he thought. He pondered that word over and over again. What was normal really? Well, it sure as hell wasn't him. And now everyone knew. Just as he had really started to assimilate himself to Bayville High. Kurt had learned the hard way that American teenagers were not exactly very inviting to foreigners, so that was one strike against him from the beginning. Then there was the whole no touching thing that went along with wearing the inducer. But he did his best to try to blend in with the rest of them, and it had actually worked. He was normal, for once in his life. He was just like everyone else. And the others began to accept him, or at least get used to him. But now, it was all over. His cover had been blown. He could never go back to school again.  
  
He turned over onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. God, he wished he was back home. He really missed his parents terribly, and wished he could be back with them right now. If he were home right now, he'd be with his mother, and she'd tell him that everything would be alright, as she held him close and stroked her hand through his hair. He loved that, because it reassured him of what he was, that he wasn't a demon. And right now, he wanted nothing more than to be there. Back in Germany where everything is familiar, where everyone in his small village knows him, and no one cowers in fear. Or throws rocks. Or pities.  
  
Truth be told, it wasn't what had happened today that had really upset Kurt. He was used to that reaction, even though it still hurt. What he was most upset about was that his friends had seen all that. They had seen him at his most vulnerable. They even saw him cry. They probably would never think the same of him again.  
  
"Bitte, mien Gott!" Kurt cried into the pillow. But this small outburst brought a thought to his mind. God. What kind of God would create someone- someTHING- like him? What kind of God is that? Kurt then felt a pang of guilt at questioning His actions. 'God has a plan for all of us, and he has an extra special plan for you.' He remembered when his mother had told him that, back when he was a child and had first noticed how different he was. But what is God's plan for him? What plan could God have chosen for him that had to include such suffering? He remembered back in Winzeldorf, when he was nearly lynched. Was that part of the almighty God's plan? Or maybe Kurt really wasn't a creature of God. Maybe he was the demon everyone always said he was.  
  
No, he couldn't be. He had been baptized, he had grown up in a rather stout Catholic household. Mass every Sunday. So, he wasn't a demon. But he was sure as hell, especially after today, that he wasn't human either. So what did that leave? He wasn't sure.  
  
"Kurt?" he heard Kitty on the other side of his door. "Please, open up. We want to talk to you."  
  
As he turned his tear streaked face toward the door, he caught his reflection. There was no way he was opening that door. He looked...pathetic. The fur on his cheeks was matted with tears and sweat, and his hair hang limply over his face. His normally bright, yellow eyes were bloodshot, and dark. He looked like hell, and he wouldn't let his friends see him like this. He wouldn't let anyone see him like this. Actually, if he could help it, he wouldn't let anyone see him ever again. Period.  
  
He laid his head back again and sighed. He didn't have anymore tars to cry, and no energy either. As he stared at the ceiling above him, he thought through the days events again. He had no idea how his inducer had just disappeared. Though, he hadn't really put much thought into it. What had happened? He remembered, he was saying goodbye to Amanda. And suddenly, the wind picked up and his inducer was gone. Wait, no, not the wind. It was like a gust of air, and then the tug on his wrist. A gust of air, similar to as if someone were passing by at a quick speed. Kurt felt a large growl escape his throat. His eyes glazed over in utter hatred.  
  
"Pietro."  
  
  
  
I LOVE YOU KURT! Ok, enough of that. I love reviews, by the way. So, please, leave one! (. 


	3. Later

Danke for my reviews! Here's chapter three!  
  
Disclaimer: BLINK IS GONE!!!  
  
Pietro scanned the schoolyard. No where. It had been three days since the incident, and Kurt still wasn't back in school. Everyday he didn't see blue boy made him feel worse and worse about what he had done. Jeez, this had all turned out MUCH worse than he could have ever imagined. And, as much as he hated to admit it, he was kinda worried about the hairball. He glanced over the schoolyard one more time, and then grabbed his bag. He made his way slowly to his Chemistry class, thinking about the last few days. The guys weren't as mad as they had initially been, but it didn't change hoe Pietro felt. He still felt like a piece of shit.  
  
He sat down next to Todd and reached into his bag for his notebook. But his hand wrapped around something else instead. He pulled out this foreign object and looed down at it. The image inducer. God, why did he keep it? He felt the remorse flood over him again and put his head on his desk.  
  
"Hey, you ok, Pietro?" Todd leaned over to him and asked.  
  
"I feel like shit, thanks for asking." He didn't even lift his head off his desk.  
  
Todd looked at what Pietro was holding in his hand. "That's a cool watch. Is it new?"  
  
"It's Kurt's."  
  
"Oh," Todd paused. "I guess that's why he hasn't been in school."  
  
Pietro turned his head. "Huh?"  
  
"Well, ya think he's gonna show up all fuzzy after what happened?"  
  
'That's true,' Pietro thought. He felt his heart lighten. Of course that's why he hasn't been here! Pietro felt this wieght just lift off him. 'So all I gotta do, is give him back the inducer, and everything will be fine!'  
  
"Mr. Maximoff?" He looked up to see his teacher glaring at him. " I am so thrilled you have decided to grace us with your presence, but is it possible I could have your attention as well?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am, sorry," Pietro said. He leaned back into his chair, his smug look returning to his face. Yes, everything was gonna be ok now.  
  
  
  
Ororo looked sadly at the door in front of her. She quietly knocked three times. "Kurt?" she waited for a response. None. "Kurt, I have some lunch for you." Still no response. "Ok, I'm going to leave it here for you." She put the tray on the floor and walked away.  
  
Ororo had never felt so worried before. Kurt hadn't left his room in three days. And no one had been in to see him in that many either. If it was up to her, she would have broken his door down, but the Professor wouldn't allow it. He was keeping tabs on Kurt, and would let everyone know if there were any changes. But this didn't help quell any of their worries. Ororo had taken the task of bringing him his meals, and she didn't like what she saw. Every time it was the same routine. She'd walk up to his room, knock on his door, and then leave his food on the floor after hearing nothing from him. A few hours later she'd return to pick up the dishes, and most times found the food untouched. He had barely eaten anything in three days. But still, they left him alone. The Professor had said they had to give Kurt time, and soon he would come out on his own. As much as Ororo trusted the Professor's judgement, she just wasn't sure. She was worried.  
  
She sighed as she walked up to Kurt's room a few hours later, to see his luch sitting untouched on the floor. She picked up the full tray and walked back to the kitchen.  
  
  
  
Kurt heard her come and go. He wasn't hungry. His brain told him to eat. He had barely eaten in three days, he knew he had to eat. And this was reinforced when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He had lost a noticeable amount of weight. His face was gaunt and his clothing hung very loosely on him. He looked away fro the mirror. He couldn't stand it anymore. He just couldn't look into that face anymore. He had looked into that face for the past sixteen years, but he couldn't do it anymore.  
  
He turned away from the mirror and closed his eyes. Maybe he could get some sleep. Scott had woken him up early this morning, banging on his door about school. Yeah, like HELL. There was no way he was EVER going back there! Not ever. Scott had reminded him this morning of his spare image inducers. Like that was going to do anything. Everyone knew now. It wasn't like they were going to forget. Kurt could feel tears in his eyes again. He really liked school. He liked being able to blend into the crowd, and just being an average kid.  
  
He could hear his friends passing by his door. He looked through the darkness at his clock. Yeah, school was over. He sighed and closed his eyes.  
  
Knock knock. "Kurt?" It was Rogue. "Kurt, can I come in?"  
  
He didn't answer. 'Just go away, please!' he thought. He heard the doorknob turning. Quickly, he drew his blankets over his head.  
  
Rogue opened the door and walked in. She knew she wasn't supposed to. But she couldn't help but worry. She looked around. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she spotted the lump in Kurt's bed. She walked over and sat down next to him.  
  
"Kurt?" she began to put her hand on his shoulder, but he flinched away. She sighed and put her hands in her lap.  
  
She sat there for a while, just staring at him. She couldn't see anything, but from the shape of the blankets, it was obvious he had lost weight.  
  
"You can't do this to yourself, Kurt," she began. "It ain't right."  
  
She paused again. He wasn't even moving. "What happened, well, it was bad. It was really bad. But, well, maybe it really wasn't as bad as you think. I mean, now they all know. You don't have to hide behind that inducer anymore. You can be yourself."  
  
"You don't understand." Rogue gasped a bit. He sounded awful, his voice was raspy and it lacked the life it used to have in it.  
  
"We're all mutants, Kurt. We know what you're going through."  
  
"You have no idea what I am going through!" Kurt yelled. He threw back the blankets. "You have no clue! You all are lucky! You can hide, you can blend in. People will accept you because they don't know any better. But they will NEVER accept me."  
  
Rogue gasped upon seeing her friend. He looked terrible. He was so skinny, and just looked a mess. "You don't know that."  
  
"Trust me, I know." He laid back down and pulled the blankets up to his face.  
  
Rogue was about to argue, but she stopped. She sighed again and looked down at him. He had had it rough, she knew it. He didn't deserve any of it. Just because he had been born different. If only people could give him a chance, they'd get to see what a wonderful person he really was.  
  
He just lay in bed. Finally, Rogue stood up and began to walk away. She looked back one more time. She could feel tears in her eyes. "We're, just worried Kurt. When you're ready to come out, we'll be here." With that, she turned and left his room.  
  
  
  
Pietro paced back and forth. He looked around. Ahead of him was the front gate of the mansion. He could easily speed past the defenses, that wasn't what worried him. What worried him was seeing Kurt. He didn't know how the blue mutant would react. He expected he'd be upset, but once Pietro gave him back the inducer, things should be ok, right? Yes, this would set everything straight, Pietro knew it. He'd apologize, give back the watch, and all will be well again. He could finally get that furry freak out of his mind. He then sped off toward the mansion.  
  
  
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!! Please? Pretty please? This chapter, something just doesn't sit well with me and this chapter...I may revise at a later date. But for now, this is it. So please review. I enjoy a good review.  
  
PS: to Todd fan: I enjoy your reviews, and I wrote an entire chapter of "Grandchild" all for you, and you don't even read it : ( I am saddened. If you haven't seen it, do, it's all the Toad you desire! 


	4. Confrontation

Here is your chapter 4! Thanks for the reviews and keep em coming! Todd fan, I hope your feeling better!!  
  
Disclaimer: If you drop your keys in a river of molten lava, let them go. Cause, man, they're gone.  
  
  
  
Pietro stepped into the darkness. He waited until his eyes adjusted. He could make out the bedroom. It looked like the bedroom of any 16 year old boy. A stereo in the corner, a few posters on the wall, some clothing strewn about. Pietro noticed the bed. 'He must be asleep' he thought to himself. He tiptoed over to the bed and reached down to put the inducer on Kurt's night table. A blue hand shot out from under the covers and grabbed his wrist.  
  
"Uhhh, you're awake," Pietro stammered. Kurt began to move and the blankets fell from over his head. His yellow eyes glowed with a type of intensity that Pietro had never seen before. And to be honest, it scared the shit out of him.  
  
Kurt didn't speak. He just sat there, holding firmly to Pietro's wrist, and staring deeply into his eyes. He could see that Pietro was scared, and if anything, it excited him.  
  
"I, uh, I brought back your inducer!" Pietro held out the watch with his trembling hand. Kurt stared at it for a second and then took it from him roughly. He held it up and studied it with his free hand, before throwing it across the room, and returning his gaze to Pietro.  
  
Pietro was terrified. He had never seen Kurt so angry before. Kurt had a strong grasp on his wrist and he couldn't get free. All he could do was sit there and tremble as the other boy watched him.  
  
Kurt just kept staring. 'He ruined your life' a small voice told him. Kurt half believed that voice. But reality began to flood in, and what Kurt now saw before him was a quivering mess. Kurt finally let go of Pietro. Pietro tried to make a break for it, but Kurt was too quick. He ported, blocking the doorway. But the port was too much for him in his weakened state. He began to sway and fell to the ground.  
  
Pietro watched this. He could easily get away now, but guilt came over him. He helped Kurt to his feet and brought him to the bed. Kurt looked awful. And Pietro knew he was the reason.  
  
Kurt lay down and stared at Pietro. His fierce anger became utter sadness when he opened his mouth to speak. The only word he could form was "Why?"  
  
Pietro looked away, ashamed. "I didn't know they were going to do that."  
  
"You didn't answer my question." The sadness in his voice had subsided. Now, there didn't appear to be a hint of emotion to his voice. It was creepy.  
  
"I," Pietro began. "I mean, oh, Jesus Kurt! Think about it! I mean, you pranced around that school like nothing. Pretending to be normal, hiding your mutant status from everyone! While the rest of us had to deal with all the crap! It wasn't fair, and you know it. But it doesn't even matter now. You got your inducer back, and now everything can get back to normal." He stood up to leave.  
  
"Normal?" Kurt said aggravated. "Yeah, everything can go back to normal now. For you, for everyone else. But not for me. Things will NEVER be normal for me. I can go back to that school, I can try to hide behind that image inducer again, but it doesn't change anything. No one will forget what I truly am, and they will always hate me for it."  
  
"Oh, and you're the only one? They hate us all." Pietro turned angrily toward Kurt.  
  
Kurt stared at him. "You have no idea what you have done Pietro, no idea." He rolled back into his bed.  
  
"Oh please, Kurt. Don't go all melodramatic on me. It's no different for you than it is for any of us. That's why I did it. And you deserved it."  
  
There was a pause. Pietro took this as a sign and began to leave, a feeling of victory. He had won this argument, and no longer felt guilty. But Kurt's voice stopped him.  
  
"Do I deserve to die, Pietro?"  
  
Pietro stopped dead in his tracks. He turned back toward the bed and saw Kurt staring at him again. His unease at the question lifted a bit and he scoffed. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"You heard me. Do I deserve to die? For the way I look? For being a mutant? Do I?"  
  
Pietro took a second to think. "I guess not," he said. "I mean, not for those reasons," he added with a smirk.  
  
Kurt looked down at his hands and sighed. "That's not what I have learned, Pietro. According to others, to NORMAL people out there, I do. I don't belong here, according to them."  
  
Pietro was confused. "They didn't try to kill you, Kurt. They threw rocks and wads of paper. I don't think you were going to die." He laughed a bit. 'There's no way he's gonna guilt trip me,' Pietro thought.  
  
"You don't know what could have happened. I do. It starts with rocks. Eventually the rocks don't hurt anymore. That's when the mob moves to the next step. That's when you're tied to a stake, fire at your feet."  
  
"Please, Kurt. Spare me. I don't think that'll happen."  
  
"It has happened."  
  
Pietro gasped inwardly. 'He's lying,' He thought to himself. 'He has to be lying.' "Yeah, right." His voice was a bit quaky.  
  
"A little over a year ago." Tears filled Kurt's eyes as he reminisced. "My circus troupe was on the move, and had stopped for the night right outside of Wizeldorf, a small town in the German mountainside. Myself and a few of the other children decided to go into town one night to look around. I wore a large coat to hide my features. We played in the town square, running around, making quite a racket, I guess. We were having so much fun, we didn't realize that we had woken up half the town. Until we saw the angry townspeople heading our way. We began to run from them, back to our camp, but I tripped over my coat. One of the angrier men picked me up by the collar, and...." Kurt paused for a second, drawing his knees to his chest and burying his head in his arms, before continuing. "He saw my face. I had never heard someone scream like that before. Suddenly, everyone was screaming. It all happened so fast, I barely remember most of it. But I remember being hit, with everything and anything. I remember words like "demon" and "monster" being screamed. And I remember being tied up, and the fire." He looked back over to Pietro. "I, I don't really remember much after that. I just remember waking up the next day, praying it had been a dream. The third degree burns on my legs brought me back to reality, though. And I remember the Professor. He had been there, and he had saved me. And he told me about the school. I wanted to come here, for a second chance. A chance to finally fit in. And it worked. I fit in, people accepted me. Well, they did."  
  
Pietro listened intently to every word. He was in shock. He could have never guessed that Kurt had been through so much. The guy always seemed so happy. His guilt came back full force. He had taken away Kurt's last chance to be normal. The remorse he was feeling was more than he could handle. He couldn't even look at Kurt. Quickly, he turned, and bolted out of the room. He ran until he made it back to his room. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He crumpled onto his bed, tears pouring down his face.  
  
  
  
Hmmmm..again, I am unsure of this chapter. I dunno, what do you all think? I know I totally made up my own Winzeldorf situation, but I didn't want to get all into the whole Stefan thing..actually, I didn't want to describe any of it at all, but I did.I may change it...anyway, please review!! 


	5. Amanda

Here is your chapter 5...and some Amanda for Lillend  
  
Disclaimer: "Most people will never know anything beyond what they see" Yay movie crawler!  
  
Amanda timidly walked up the steps to the doors of the institute. She was always nervous coming here. It wasn't that she was afraid or anything. She knew everyone there, and they knew her. But something about the place just intimidated her. Maybe it was the sheer size of it. The place was huge.  
  
She lifted her hand and knocked on the door. She hoped that Scott would answer, or even Kitty. Just not that Logan guy. Talk about intimidating.  
  
The door opened. "Can I help you?" Logan's asked in his gruff voice.  
  
"Uh, I'm here to see Kurt," she answered, still nervous.  
  
Logan moved out of the way to allow her access. She walked into the huge foyer in awe. It didn't matter that she'd seen all this before, it was still amazing to see.  
  
"Good afternoon, Amanda." She looked to her left and noticed the Professor making his way in.  
  
"Hello, Professor," she said. "Is Kurt here?" She mentally hit herself, stupid question.  
  
"Of course," the Professor responded. "He's upstairs in his room. Logan, would you show her?"  
  
Logan motioned for her to follow and she obeyed. He took her up the stairs and through a few winding halls. Finally, he stopped in front of a door.  
  
"Elf?" he knocked. "You got a visitor."  
  
"No." She heard him say from beyond the door. "No one, mien Herr, please?"  
  
"Kurt?" she tried, moving closer to the door. "It's me. Can I please come in?"  
  
There was a long pause. Amanda waited, hoping he'd let her see him. She'd been so worried since she had heard about what happened. She felt awful that it had happened, and she felt even worse that she had waited three days before coming to see him.  
  
"Ja, you can come in." he finally said.  
  
She opened the door and walked into the room. It was completely dark. She waited until her eyes adjusted before moving any further. She spotted him lying in the bed, and walked over to him and sat down.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked, not really knowing what to say.  
  
"Fantastic," he replied, his voice full of grief.  
  
She put her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Kurt," she said, quietly, tears beginning in her eyes. "I am so sorry."  
  
Kurt turned himself to face her. He saw the tears begin to spill out of her eyes and lifted his hand to wipe them from her face. "Don't cry, liebe." he said softly. He put his arms around her and held her close to him.  
  
Amanda cried into his chest. She felt his arms around her, and did nothing but cry for a long while. After she had gotten through the worse of it, she looked into his face.  
  
"And I came here to comfort you," she joked through sniffles.  
  
Kurt smiled a bit and laid his head back. "I am very glad you came."  
  
Amanda lifted herself up and kissed him. "I don't care about any of it, Kurt. I want you to know that. I don't care what people say or do. I love you, and nothing will change that."  
  
He looked at her. She meant it, she really did. But she didn't know what she was in for. He pulled her back to him in another kiss and them looked into her eyes. "And I love you, mien liebchen."  
  
They lay together for a while. Kurt felt great. He hadn't felt this good in days. He knew that things would be ok, but he didn't know how they would get that way.  
  
"You know, I talked to Kitty yesterday. They're all really worried about you." Amanda said to him.  
  
"And I suppose they asked you to let me know, ja?"  
  
"They're worried Kurt, they haven't seen you in days, and you live with them! Why don't we go downstairs and let them know that you're ok?"  
  
Kurt thought about this for a while. He really didn't feel up to it himself, but with Amanda beside him, he was sure he could do anything. "Ok," he said, finally.  
  
Amanda helped him up out of bed. He stood wobbly at first, but found his balance. He and Amanda walked toward the door and opened it. The light blinded him a bit at first, but when his eyes came around, he could see nearly every inhabitant of the institute standing there. Kitty ran up and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him off balance.  
  
"Oh my God, we've been so worried, Kurt!" she cried.  
  
"It's ok, Katschen, I'm ok." He soothed.  
  
Kitty let go and Scott came up next. "How are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"I could eat," Kurt said.  
  
Scott chuckled. "Then let's eat." he said as they all made their way down to the kitchen.  
Ta da! I don't know..maybe this is the end, maybe this isn't...you tell me. I'm taking requests. Anything you want to see here? Any unanswered questions? Let me know! I won't be able to do ALL requests, but I'll do some..OH! And please do review! 


	6. Decisions

Why is it that FF.net isn't honoring layout? There is supposed to be two spaces between every scene change, but there isn't and its pissing me off. It never was like this before.It always worked before. I don't know, I am pissed. But please, enjoy.  
  
There's some tough language in here..just to let yall know. Really bad.  
  
Disclaimer: What's the deal with Michael Jackson?  
  
Kurt was out of his room. He was finally talking to everyone again, and he seemed to be back to his old self. But he still refused to return to school. They tried every way to convince him, but nothing worked. The Professor knew that this would be the case. But he knew that it was important that Kurt do return to school. It was important in the healing process.  
  
"You called me, Herr Professor?" Kurt asked as he walked into the study.  
  
"Yes, Kurt, please sit down." Kurt perched himself onto the top of one of the study's couches.  
  
The Professor rolled over to his desk and rested his hands on top. He looked at Kurt as he steepled his hands under his chin. "I asked you in here to discuss you're going back to school."  
  
"We don't need to discuss that. I'm not going back. I thought you, especially, would understand"  
  
"I understand your fears, Kurt. But I also know that hiding is not the answer. You have to go back there and face them."  
  
Kurt bowed his head. "I can't," he replied in a tiny voice. Tears formed in his eyes. "I just can't."  
  
The Professor wheeled himself over to Kurt and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Yes you can. You're stronger than them. Besides, they've seen you. The worst of it is over. Now you just have to make them accept you." Kurt lifted his teary eyes to meet the Professor's. "Remember, you're not alone, Kurt. We're all here for you, and nothing will change that."  
  
Kurt nodded. "I know." His gaze left the Professor's eyes. He began to process all of this. Maybe he could do it. No, he couldn't. He wouldn't. He didn't know.  
  
The Professor felt the small battle going on in Kurt's head and said. "WHile I don't think it will help any, but if it makes you feel better, you can always wear the inducer. Put a lot of thought into this, Kurt. Decide how you want to approach it. . But you will be going back to school. The sooner, the better."  
  
Kurt knew he had a lot of thinking to do. He stood up and said, "Thank you, mien Herr." before porting out of the room.  
  
Amanda grabbed her books out of her locker and began her trip to her fourth period trigonometry class. It was one of her least favorite subjects. She was a bright girl, but math always seemed to escape her. But she had always loved going there, because it was the one class she shared with Kurt. Even though she had been visiting him nearly everyday after school for the past two weeks, she missed seeing him during the school day. She was so caught up in thoughts of her wonderful elf, she didn't realize it as she ran right into Toby Walters, quite a relentless bully.  
  
"Watch where you're--" he stopped after recognition hit him. His eyes narrowed. "Don't you ever fucking touch me you disgusting skank."  
  
"What?!" Amanda screeched. She wasn't always a very confrontational person, but she would not tolerate being called a 'skank'. Especially not by some dick like Toby. "What did you call me?"  
  
"You heard me you piece of shit," he said. He began to turn away, saying under his breath, "Fucking mutie loving whore."  
  
That was all Amanda could take. She lunged at him, her fists coming into contact with his face. He staggered backward a bit, shocked. Girl could pack a punch. But she was no match for him. He came toward her, grabbing her hair and slamming her head against the lockers.  
  
"You think you're tough?" Toby spit in her face. "You are nothing. You are a disgusting mutie fucker. That's what you are."  
  
Amanda tried to struggle out of his grasp, but he was too strong. She looked at the crowd that had gathered. They just stood there. Some were even cheering for Toby. She felt completely helpless.  
  
Suddenly, Toby was on the floor. She looked down at him, shocked. 'How did that happen?' she thought. He was obviously thinking the same thing.  
  
"What the fuck?" he shouted. He looked around him, bewildered. "Who did that?"  
  
"I did." Pietro stepped out of the crowd.  
  
Toby stood up. He was pissed off to no end, but he wasn't stupid. No way he'd pick a fight with a mutie. "You freaks are going to get it. You watch, " and he walked off, defeated. The crowd lingered for a bit, but Pietro cast them a nasty look, so they dispersed. He knelt down to Amanda. "You ok?"  
  
"I'm fine," she said, obviously shooken up. "Thank you."  
  
"He's such an asshole. Don't listen to him."  
  
"Uh huh," she said, fixing arranging her books. Pietro bent down to help her and noticed her lip bleeding. And quivering. She was holding back tears. Guilt swept over him.  
  
They both stood and Pietro handed her books over. "Thanks," she took them and wiped her eyes, before hurrying off.  
  
Pietro watched her run down the hall. 'This is all my fault,' he thought. It was, technically. If he hadn't taken that damn inducer, Kurt would still be under wraps as a mutant, and Amanda would have never been harassed by Toby. Why did he do it? Why did he have to be such an asshole? Kurt was right, though. This was different. People were never outwardly mean to them, they just basically ignored them, or pointed fingers. But Kurt was a different kind of mutant. And now people weren't just after him, but his girlfriend as well. He knew that neither of them deserved what they were getting. But it was all his fault. Jesus, why did he do it?  
  
Amanda ran down the hall, past her math class. She ran out the doors and into the courtyard, before letting a sob escape her throat. She collapsed onto a bench and cried. She looked around. No, this wasn't the place to do this. She didn't want to be here anymore. She could go home, but she'd rather not explain all of this to her parents. That would entail her letting her parents in on Kurt's secret, which she didn't see as going too well. There was only one place she could go right now, only one person she wanted to be with. She got up and began to run in the direction of the institute.  
  
Kurt lay on the couch watching tv. He flicked through the channels, before giving up. He should probably do some of his schoolwork anyway. He had to catch up, he'd been out for two weeks already. But maybe first he could get a snack.  
  
He made his way into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Some milk, the usual condiments, one of Kitty's creations, ah. There's that pie. He pulled it out along with the milk and sat down at the table. Just as he was about to dig in, the doorbell rang. 'Logan will get it, or something,' he thought. He took a bite. The doorbell rang again. 'Schiesse! I'm the only one here!' he remembered. He stood up from the table and 'bamfed' himself to the foyer. He pulled the door open.  
  
"Amanda?" She ran in to him, throwing her arms around him sobbing. He closed the door and then pulled away from her, looking her in the face. "Amanda, are you ok? What happened?"  
  
Amanda told him everything. Kurt listened, his anger growing. By the end of the story, he was furious. It was one thing to pick on him. But when you went after those he loved, that's when Kurt got pissed. Now he knew it. He had to go back to school. There was no way he'd let anyone treat Amanda like that.  
  
He kept all his anger inside at the moment, more concerned with soothing Amanda. He held her close to him as she cried.  
  
Yay! A chapter I like! Hope you all did too..and there's one way to find out. Review!!!!! 


	7. Going back

Hello, all..I wrote this..read it and enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: "Two of hearts! Two hearts that beat as one." yeah, I'm listening to Stacy Q  
  
~&~  
  
Kurt stepped out of Scott's car. His legs were a bit shaky, but he composed himself quickly, a look of determination on his face. He double checked his inducer, it was working. He wasn't quite ready to go strutting about au natural.  
  
"You ok?" He looked to Kitty beside him. She gave him an encouraging smile.  
  
"Ja, I'm fine," he said. No he wasn't. He wasn't fine. He was nervous as all hell. His hands were shaking. He didn't know what to expect from his classmates, but he didn't expect much. He just hoped that there wasn't a replay of a few weeks ago. Or worse.  
  
He and his friends began to walk from the parking lot up to the school. People milled about, just as every other day, before recognition hit them. They all stopped and stared as he made his way to the front door. Rogue and Evan threw them all menacing looks as they passed. No way they were gonna let Kurt get hurt again.  
  
"Kurt!" He looked toward the sound of his name and saw Amanda. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. This caused a few gasps to escape the students around them. "I'm so glad you're back!"  
  
"Me too," he said, not completely truthfully. He gave her a small kiss on the forehead.  
  
The first bell for class rang, and students began moving towards their classrooms, keeping a large distance between themselves and 'the freak'. Scott watched them all go, then turned to his friend. "We gotta go to class. You sure you're going to be ok, Kurt?"  
  
"I'll be fine!" he replied, a bit irritated. The X men parted, leaving Kurt and Amanda.  
  
"I have to go to class too," Amanda told him. She leaned up and kissed him. She could feel how anxious he was. "Don't worry, everything will go fine. I promise." And with that she began to jog down the hall to her class.  
  
The second bell rang and Kurt cursed to himself. His first day back and he was late. He took off, running down the hall toward his history class.  
  
~&~  
  
Pietro sat lazily in his art class, staring out the window. Ugh, he hated this crap. He began to trace his hand with a piece of charcoal when he overheard two girls talking at the table next to him.  
  
"Did you hear? That freaky foreign kid is back in school," the blonde one told the red head.  
  
The red head shuddered. "Ugh, how can they let him go to school with us? It's, like, not safe."  
  
The blonde one nodded in agreement. "I mean, it's bad enough that we have to go to school with mutants, but that kid is just too far. He's blue!"  
  
"I don't want to sound like a dork, or something, but, I'm kind of scared. I mean, people don't look like that. I think he should be locked up, or something."  
  
Pietro listened and then decided he'd heard enough. He leaned over to the two girls. "Maybe they should lock you up, see how you like it."  
  
The two girls looked at him angrily. "We, like, weren't talking to you, Maximoff. Get over yourself." The blonde informed him.  
  
"Maybe you two shouldn't open your mouths if you don't know what you're talking about. You don't even know him, and you're judging him because he's different. Talk about shallow."  
  
The girls looked furious. "You're just saying that cause you're one of them, you freak. don't think we don't all know it. And one day, all of you mutie scum are going to get yours. You'll see!" The red head screamed at him.  
  
"Oooo, I'm shaking!" Pietro mocked them.  
  
"Is there a problem here?" The art teacher interrupted their argument.  
  
"Pietro is threatening us, Mr. Coleson!" the red head told him. "He said he'd use his mutant whatever against us!"  
  
Pietro scowled.  
  
"Is that true, Pietro?" Mr. Coleson asked him. "Did you threaten Britney and Tiffany?"  
  
"No I didn't," he said, angrily. Those girls had crossed the line. Using powers in school was strictly forbidden, and even talking about them would get you into a ton of trouble.  
  
Mr. Coleson sighed. "Pietro, I wish I could believe you. But we can't be too sure these days." He wrote out a pass for Pietro and handed it to him. "You're going to have to go talk to Principal Kelly about this."  
  
Pietro took the pass from him and made his way out the door. He glared at the two girls, but they just giggled and waved to him as he left.  
  
~&~  
  
"Ok, class, settle down!" Mrs. Klien tried to bring calm over her rambunctious history class. "I'm going to start roll call!"  
  
They ignored her, and continued talking. The door then opened, and all discussions came to a halt. Everyone looked up at the entering student. He walked slowly to his desk. Even Mrs. Klien stopped and stared. The story of what had happened had made its way around school fast. And even though all she saw before appeared to be an average 16 year old boy, she knew different. She cleared her throat before beginning.  
  
"You're late, Mr. Wagner," she said, a bit of animosity in her voice.  
  
"Er, sorry, Frau Klien," he said to her. "It won't happen again." He sat down at his desk and immediately, the desks around him slid away. He reached into his bag and pulled out his books. When he looked up again, he noticed that all eyes were still focused on him. He tried to edge himself lower in the desk, hoping it would make him less noticeable, but it wasn't that easy to shake this gaze. Finally, the teacher spoke up again.  
  
"Ok, class, eyes up here now!" Mrs. Klien said. "Today we will be discussing the Bolshevik Revolution. Now, we discussed this yesterday, who can tell me who was the Czar at this time?" She scanned the class before settling on her prey. "Mr. Wagner? What can you tell me about this?"  
  
Again all eyes were trained on him. Kurt looked down at his desk. He didn't know anything about any of this! He hated history, and really hadn't studied I as much as his other subjects while home. "Um," he began. "I am not sure, Frau Klien."  
  
"Did you not do the reading?" she asked him, the bitterness still in her voice.  
  
"Well, not all of it," he admitted. He looked around to each of his classmates. They made him so uncomfortable. Mrs. Klien continued with the lesson, but the students weren't paying any attention. They just continued to look at him.  
  
"We don't want you here, freak." Kurt turned toward the whisper. Rob Jacobs was staring him down.  
  
"I have every right to be here," Kurt told him.  
  
"No you don't," someone else replied. "You don't belong here."  
  
Kurt looked around at all of his classmates. They all had the same look in their eyes. Pure hatred.  
  
"What's wrong with you, anyway?" someone else asked.  
  
"You think you can hide?" Ron said, pointing toward the inducer. "We know what you are, you mutie freak. Nothings gonna change that."  
  
He felt someone tug at his wrist. Christie Ammison had his wrist in her hands. "Why don't you take this off, you freak? Are you afraid?"  
  
He pulled his wrist back toward him. But she snatched it again. "Please, just let me go!" he pleaded, while she tugged at the inducer. The class laughed at his plea. He looked toward Mrs. Klien for help, but she just stood watching.  
  
As Christie tugged at the watch, he hand hit a button and his image faded. As that happened, the class hushed. Christie withdrew her hand quickly, wiping it on her shirt. Kurt quickly turned his inducer back on.  
  
"Oh my god, that was disgusting!" someone yelled.  
  
Kurt looked down at his desk, he could feel his eyes tearing. He couldn't let them see him cry, he couldn't let them win. As he watched his desk, he noticed a hall pass appear on it. He looked up to his teacher.  
  
"Principal, NOW!" she said, glaring at him.  
  
Kurt picked up his books and his bag and dejectedly made his way out of the room.  
  
~&~  
  
R&R 


	8. Feeling good

Hola, I do believe this is the last chapter..I wanna thank ALL my reviewers, I do all this for you! So read, enjoy, and review!!  
  
Disclaimer: "Hey Phelonius, what is the subatomic structure to the Helium atom?" "Yo MAMA!"  
  
~&~  
  
Kurt stepped up to the secretary's desk and handed his pass to her. She looked up at him over her glasses. He shifted his bag on his shoulder nervously. "Principal Kelly will see you shortly. Take a seat over there."  
  
Kurt turned to where she was pointing. Pietro Maximoff was sitting in one of the seats. He waved slightly at Kurt, but Kurt just glared at him and sat as far away as he could. The two sat in awkward silence for a while, before Pietro broke it.  
  
"So," he began. "Never thought I'd see you here. What are you in for?"  
  
"None of your business," Kurt spat.  
  
Another awkward silence came over the boys. "Some girls framed me," Pietro told Kurt. "They said I was threatening them when-"  
  
"I'd really prefer it if you didn't speak to me," Kurt said, turning his back to Pietro. "Esel.*" he said under his breath.  
  
"Ich spreche Deutsches, wissen Sie," Pietro told him. The other boy just sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry. I told you I'm sorry. I'm just trying to be nice, here."  
  
"Just don't talk to me," Kurt said. Again, the boys were in silence. It was the most uncomfortable silence Pietro had ever felt. They sat and waited until finally the door opened and Principal Kelly peeked out. He looked toward the two boys and his eyes narrowed.  
  
"Both of you, in here now," he told them. They both stood up and entered the office. Kelly walked behind his desk and sat down. The boys began to sit as well, but Kelly stopped them. "I would prefer if you stood, thank you," he said coldly. "Now, Mr. Maximoff, Mr. Wagner, you were sent to my office for disrupting class, correct.?"  
  
"Well, actually, I-" Kurt started.  
  
"I asked you a yes or no question, Mr. Wagner. And I expect a yes or no answer!"  
  
"Well, yes, but-" Kurt tried.  
  
"Enough! I don't want to hear your excuses!" Kelly told them. He stood up and looked out the window on the courtyard. He turned back to the boys. "It is my job to keep the students in this school safe. And I feel that I can't do that with you people running around causing trouble."  
  
"Hey, wait, I-" Pietro started.  
  
"I said I do not want to hear any excuses, Mr. Maximoff. And if you both don't stay quiet, I will have you and every other little mutie on campus expelled permanently!"  
  
The boys stood quietly and listened as the Principal continued. "If it were up to me, I would have never let you back on campus. But the bleeding hearts in the school board didn't see it that way. They saw this as a civil rights issue. I see it as man versus monster. Humans versus, whatever you want to call yourselves. You are all a menace. And I am here to make sure that you are put in your place. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
The boys nodded sullenly.  
  
"As for you, Mr. Wagner, I am well aware of the incident a few weeks ago. As am I aware of this façade you put up. Whatever you are doing to make yourself appear normal, I want you to stop it right now."  
  
Kurt looked at the man with fear in his eyes. "But, Herr Kelly-"  
  
"Right NOW Mr. Wagner!"  
  
Kurt bowed his head, defeated. He reached down to his watch and flicked the switch. The image of a young man dissolved, leaving that of a blue, furry demon. Kelly gasped. "Disgusting," he muttered under his breath. Kurt just stared at the ground, full of shame.  
  
"You are no longer allowed to wear that façade in this school, Mr. Wagner," Kelly told him.  
  
"But, Herr-"  
  
"Do not argue with me! The students in this school deserve to know what they are being subjected to. They deserve to know the monster that walks among them! And so you shall attend your classes as you look or not at all. And, I swear, if I find you using that contraption, I will have you turned over to the proper authorities. Remember, Mr. Wagner. You are not an American citizen, and therefore have no right to be here. If you do not comply, all it will take is one little phone call. And you will be out of this country so fast!"  
  
Kurt sighed. He had been defeated. He loved it in America and there was no way he would risk deportation. He had no choice but to do as Kelly told him to. Pietro felt awful for the other boy. And he felt terribly guilty. He had no idea that one little prank would result in all this.  
  
"Now, I move on to punishment. You are both lucky that you caught me in a good mood today. So I am assigning you two months of after school detention. Everyday for the next two months you both will report to this office after school."  
  
"But that's not fair!" Pietro burst. "What happened to innocent until proven guilty?! You haven't even heard our sides yet, but you-"  
  
"Three months!" Kelly interjected. "And one more outburst from you, Mr. Maximoff, and I will make certain that you never see the light of day again!"  
  
Pietro quieted. He didn't know what Kelly meant by that, but he knew that he was serious.  
  
"Now, I want you both out of my office. And if I hear about either of you causing anymore trouble, I will not hesitate in inflicting a most severe punishment." There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he finished.  
  
The boys left the office. The secretary stared at them as they walked out into the hall. Immediately upon exiting the administrative offices, Kurt remembered he was no longer wearing the inducer. Out of habit, he reached down to turn it on, but stopped himself. Deportation. He couldn't let that happen.  
  
So he walked down the hall, sadly. It was class time, so there was no one in the halls to see him. But he dreaded when the bell rang. He knew how it would be, they would never just leave him alone. He leaned against the wall and slid down, sitting on the floor. He put his head in his hands and began to cry.  
  
Pietro moved over to him and knelt beside him. "Don't worry about it Kurt. He's not serious," Pietro told him.  
  
"God, Pietro, can't you just leave me alone!" Kurt screamed. He looked to Pietro with fire in his eyes. "I don't care how sorry you are, I don't care how bad you feel. My life was perfect until you had to pull that stunt! And you've ruined it, you've just completely ruined it!" He put his head down again and continued sobbing. "Just stop apologizing! Stop trying to be my friend! You're not my friend, Pietro, and you're not going to be just because you feel bad. I don't care how you feel!"  
  
Pietro hung his head. He was so ashamed of himself. "I don't expect you to be my friend, Kurt," he said. "I mean, if everything were switched, I would feel the same way you do. I know what I did was wrong, and I regret it, I really do. If I could, I'd take it all back-"  
  
"You can't take it back, Pietro. It happened. You can't change the past," Kurt said. He looked Pietro in the eyes. "I just don't understand, Pietro."  
  
"What?" Pietro asked.  
  
"Why do you hate me? Why does everyone hate me?" He put his head back down into his arms.  
  
"We don't hate you," Pietro told him.  
  
"Every time someone screams at me, I feel like I've been punched. Like the wind has been knocked out of me. I never asked for this. I never wanted any of this. Why did it have to happen to me? I have prayed to God over this more times than I can count, but I never get an answer. Sometimes I feel like God ignores me, like I'm his mistake."  
  
Pietro fell silent, listening to Kurt speak. He had no idea how to respond to this. No one had ever opened up to Pietro before, and here Kurt had done it twice. Pietro wasn't used to this. But he had to say something. "Well, none of us asked for this, Kurt. It just happened. I mean, there's got to be a reason we are what we are, but we're still kids! We have plenty of time to figure out 'God's master plan'." Pietro put his hand on Kurt's shoulder, tentatively. He was relieved when the boy didn't shrug him away. "You really are a great guy, Kurt. And I'm serious about that. And anyone who can't see that isn't worth your time, anyway."  
  
"That's easy to say, Pietro. But not as easy to believe," Kurt replied.  
  
"It's true. I mean, I've always admired you. I know I've acted like a dick, but I really don't dislike you. I guess I'm just a little, jealous," Pietro admitted.  
  
Kurt looked up at Pietro. "Jealous?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you always seem so happy. You have great friends, who really care about you. And, well," Pietro paused, ashamed of what he was saying. "My dad never really cared much for me or my sister. We were always pawns in his game. We still are, I guess. But for some reason, I go back to him, whenever he calls. And he doesn't even really give a damn about me. And you, you have parents who really care about you. Including Mystique. You may not think so, but she really loves you."  
  
"I don't want to hear about her, please," Kurt told him, hiding his head again.  
  
"Ok," Pietro continued. "But, seriously, Kurt. You have so much in this world. You have nothing to be ashamed of. So what if people are afraid of you, or they look at you weird. They'll get over it. It may take time, but they will. Now these people will get to know the real you. You won't have to hide anymore."  
  
"I guess," Kurt said. But in the back of his mind, he knew that Pietro was right.  
  
Suddenly, the bell rang. Students began piling out of the classrooms, into the hallways. Kurt began to try to blend in to the shadows, hide himself from the others. But he changed his mind. It was time that they got to know the real Kurt, tail and all. These people were going to have to deal with him, whether they liked it or not. He stood up tall, and looked to Pietro. Pietro smiled at him and the two boys began to walk to their next class. There was still staring, and there were whispers, and even a few screams. But they didn't phase Kurt. He was proud of who he was, and couldn't care what the others thought anymore. They could say what they wanted, but Kurt was done hurting because of how other people thought. He waved goodbye to his new comrade, as he and Pietro walked into separate classrooms. Today was going to be a good day.  
  
~&~  
  
*I used Babelfish for my translations. So sue me..  
  
Well, I think that's it....thank you for reading and sticking through the whole thing. Please review.I want some real constructive criticism. Tell me what you didn't like, as well as what you liked, of course. I think I enjoyed most of this last chapter.but hey, I may tweak things here and there...again, thanks for reading, so leave a review! 


	9. Author's note

Ok boys and girls.....I have received a TON of reviews for this story, and I thank you all for sending them! A lot of the reviews have requested that I write more, but I don't see a point to writing more than I have. I don't have anything left to say about Kurt and his inducer in this context. But, if you guys REALLY want it, I'll write an epilogue. Or, I can give you this option: You guys can write a sequel. Whoever has an idea for what more should be said/done, can write it. As long as you specify that it's a sequel to this, I'm cool. I would love to see what you all think! I am beyond thrilled that so many people responded positively to this story. So, tell me what you all want/think and I'll do it. Ciao! 


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